Self shank button drilling machine



Aug. 24, 1937, F. A. RICHARDS SELF SHANK BUTTON DRILLING MACHINE Fiied Nov. 13. 1955 .AJM ATTORNEY suitable source.

Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED sTATas PATENT OFFICE.

Frank A. Richards, Scranton,

Pa., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Consolidated Molded Products Corporation Application November 13, 1935, Serial No. 49,513 3 Claims. l (Cl. 79-14) This invention is an improvement in automatic button machinery, being what I have termed a self shank button drilling machine. In orderto understand its utility, reference may be had to previous methods employed for drilling buttons.

In the manufacture of certain forms of buttons, particularly those suited for use on womens clothing, there is a lug or shank extending from the disk portion of the button which must be provided with a hole for sewing the button on to the garment. This type of button may be molded of synthetic rosin or other molding material or may be turned out of vegetable ivory or similar material. Whether molded or turned the shank must be drilled to complete the button. Heretofore, this operation has been performed by hand, the button being inserted by the operator in a small vise or clamp in position to receive the drill. Such a manual operation is slow and dangerous since the operators hands are more or less continuously in the. region of the rotating drill.

By my invention the operation is performed automatically in that it is merely necessary for the operator to place the formed buttons in receptacles on a drum at a point separated from the rotating drill. Movement of the buttons thus placed into a position for drilling and the function of the drills themselves are performed mechanically during the cycle of the machine, and the buttons after being drilled fall by gravity into a chute. My machine not only contributes the factor of safety but speeds up production since it may contain a multiple number of drilling units.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the entire machine.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing a button in a position to be drilled.

A description of the parts making up the machine will be combined with mention of the functions thereof. For convenience the machine is mounted on a base II. The slow rotating pulley I2 derives its power through a belt I3 from any The pulley I2 drives the slow moving parts of the machine. 'Ihe second pulley I4 driven by a belt I5 `deriving its power from an electric motor for instance, rotates at high speed to drive the drills as hereinafter explained.

The pulley I2 is keyed to a shaft I6 which is provided at its opposite end with a sprocket I'I which imparts motion to a chain I8. The chain I8, engaging with a sprocket I9, rotates a spur gear engaging with a second spur gear 2I 55 which in turn gives motion to a Geneva movement 22 of conventional design employed for intermittently rotating a drum 25. The purpose of the intermittent movement which will more clearly appear later, is to bring successiveportions on the periphery of the drum into proximity with the drills, allowing a period of dwell at the right point for the drills to advance and withdraw.

The drum 25 is provided with a plurality of button receptacles 26 each having a recess 2'! into which the shank of a button may extend. These receptacles, known in the art as button plugs, may be changed to accommodate different size and style buttons. As seen clearly in Fig. 2 the shank of a button B is to be drilled at a point indicated by the dotted lines. The receptacle 25 is formed with a pilot hole 29 to guide the drill 28 in advancing and drilling the button. The. operators function is to place buttons in the receptacles while they are in the position indicated at P in Fig. 1. Rotation of the drum 25 will bring the buttons into a relatively horizontal position with their shanks vertical as appears at the uppermost part of the drum in Fig. 1.

At the time that the drum is rotating to carry the buttons into the. uppermost position a more complex movement is occurring to move the drum under a yoke 30, which guidesa T member 3I carrying a plurality of spring clamps 32 so positioned as to yieldably retain the buttons in position in the receptacles.

This complex movement arises as follows:

The drum is pivoted 42 and a link 35 upon a bearing 36 mounted upon the base II. The link 35 has a cam follower 31 which engages the face of a cam 38 on the shaft I6. When this cam presents its greater radius to the follower, which occurs just prior to and during the period of dwell, the follower is de.- pressed and the end of the link carrying the drum is thereby elevated bringing the drum up into position so that pilot holes 21 are approximately in horizontal alignment with the drills 28. A link 40 is pivoted on the link 35 at 4I, and is connected to drum 25, through the. crank member 42, so that movement of the link 40 transmits movement through the crank member. 42 to the drum 25. The movement is rotative, on pivot 4I as an axis. The link 40 has a cam follower 43 engaging the face of a cam 44. This cam is on shaft I6 and it presents its greater radius to the follower 43 just prior to and during the period of dwell while the drilling function is performed. At this time link 40 through its pivot and crank member 42 is causing the drum 25 to tilt slightly in the through a crank member Ia cushioning direction of the arrow 5U, which tends to level the drum against the elevating action of the link 35, and thus to correct the alignment of the pilot holes and the drills. A spring 5| causes follower 43 to ride closely on the cam 44.

When the drum is in its corrected upper position the T member 3| is lowered to cause spring clamps 32 to engage the buttons. Each of these clamps comprises a shank 55? with a head 56, the shank being yieldably extended by a spring 51, thus retaining the buttons in the receptacles with eifect to prevent breakage. A downward movement of the T member 3| is caused by a lever 58 pivoted on a bracket 59 at a point E0. It is formed with a slot BI, the walls of which engage a pin 62 on the T member 3|. Movement is given the lever 58 through a link 63 having a cam follower 64 riding on a cam 65 which is keyed to the shaft I6. A spring 66 retracts the lever 58 after the drilling operation.

The drills 28 are carried in a conventional multiple drill chuck 10 deriving its power as heretofore mentioned from pulley I4 through a shaft 1|. These drills are continuously rotating. The drill chuck 'l0 is slidably supported in a yoke 80 forming part of the bracket 59. It is advanced by a link 12, pivoted at its lower end at a point not shown and deriving its forward movement through a cam follower 13 engaging with a cam I4 on the shaft 6 and is retracted through a cam follower l5 engaging a cam IS on the same shaft.

Having completed the drilling operation, the drills, drum and spring clamps return to the starting position, and the buttons drop from the receptacles into a chute in back of the drum as the drum rotates to its new position.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A button drilling machine comprising: a drum provided with a receptacle to hold a button having a shank to be drilled, means to rotate the drum intermittently, a drill located in proximity with the drum, means to elevate the drum to bring the button receptacle into approximate position to receive the drill and means to levely the drum as it is elevated in order to correct the alignment of the button receptacle and drill.

2. A button drilling machine comprising: a drum provided with a receptacle to hold a button having a shank to be drilled, the said receptacle having a pilot hole to guide a drill, means to rotate the drum intermittently, a drill located in proximity with the drum, means tov elevate the drum to bring the button receptacle into apcorrect the alignment of the button receptacle including the pilot hole and the drill.

3. A button drilling machine comprising: a drum provided with a receptacle to hold a button having a shank to be drilled, means to rotate the drum intermittently, proximity with the drum, elevate the drum to bring the button receptacle into approximate position to receive the drill, and a cam and crank to level the drum as it is elevated in order to correct the alignment of the button receptacle and drill.

FRANK A. RICHARDS. 

